Ben Ruttenberg, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Director of the Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
- Ben will work with academic partners to develop new research questions, to measure and track effects of operations, and to seek funding for all research initiatives
- He will translate data into ideas that can be tested in the Harmony Coast Aquaculture Innovation Center

Biography
At Cal Poly, Professor Ruttenberg studies how and why coastal marine ecosystems change over time, how management of marine systems impacts on the oceans, and what we can do better. Ben, his students, and colleagues are currently conducting research in these and other areas with direct or indirect application to HCAI:
- Pismo clams and the mechanisms that impact their abundance from Monterey to Baja California
- Parrotfish feeding behavior and how it affects coral reefs
- Impacts of marine protected areas and oceanographic events on nearshore fisheries
- Offshore renewable energy production along the California Central Coast
- Artificial intelligence to facilitate monitoring in marine systems
Ben is an avid surfer, and he and his wife Carla enjoy life in San Luis Obispo.